El Análisis de la conversación y el estudio de las instituciones sociales: consideraciones metodológicas, socioculturales y espistémicas

The objective of this study is to show how conversation analysis, a sociological discipline, approaches the study of social institutions. Social institutions are conceived as the crystallization of members’ communicative, interactional practices. Two institutional domains—psychiatric interviews and broadcast news interviews—and a specific interactional practice—‘formulations’—are examined in this study. The results show that (1) in psychiatric interviews the psychiatrist uses formulations to transform the patients’ avowals and establish a psychiatric problem. (2) In broadcast news interviews, formulations might help the interviewer to clarify or transform the statements of the interviewee, or challenge his assertions. The comparison of formulations in two different institutional settings serves the purpose of (1) demonstrating how communicative conduct is adapted in particular settings in ways that invoke and configure distinct social institutions and (2) inspect the knowledge, practices, logic, etc., mobilized by members of the epistemic communities of psychiatry and journalism.El objetivo de este estudio es mostrar cómo la disciplina sociológica del análisis de la conversación aborda el estudio de las instituciones sociales. Las instituciones sociales se conciben como la cristalización de las prácticas comunicativas y de interacción de los miembros de la sociedad. Se examinan dos dominios institucionales —las entrevistas psiquiátricas y las entrevistas en las noticias— y una práctica interaccional específica: las ‘formulaciones’. Los resultados muestran que (1) en las entrevistas psiquiátricas las formulaciones ayudan al psiquiatra a transformar las declaraciones de los pacientes para poder así establecer un problema de orden psiquiátrico. (2) En la entrevista televisada, las formulaciones ayudan al entrevistador a clarificar o transformar las declaraciones del entrevistado, o desafiar sus afirmaciones. La comparación de las formulaciones en dos entornos institucionales diferentes sirve para (1) demostrar cómo se adapta la conducta comunicativa en contextos específicos de maneras que invocan y configuran distintas instituciones sociales, y (2) observar el conocimiento, prácticas, lógica, etc., movilizados por los miembros de las comunidades epistémicas de la psiquiatría y el periodismo

When the "other" runs in front of the bull: a membership categorization analysis of a television news story

This article analyzes a television news story using a particular example. In line with the research tradition of the ethnomethodological approach of membership categorization analysis, our main analytical concerns are (1) to understand the logic of practical reasoning and intelligibility involved in the production of the news story; (2) to examine how this intelligibility is generated and what resources – such as commonsense knowledge of the social structures – are used to make the news story communicable; and (3) to explore how specific forms of categorization employed in the news story are used to induce certain readings or to promote certain worldviews. The news story analyzed describes the progressive increase of foreign participants at the San Fermín running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. It also highlights the still minority participation by women at this massive event. The results of the analysis show that both ‘foreigners’ and ‘women’ are presented as being in the wrong place. Through association with their typical predicates, both ‘foreigners’ and ‘women’ are construed in the news story as the ‘other’. A final reflection is made on the concept of identity, which is understood as a situated accomplishment.This work was supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación) for the research project ‘Analysis of Audiovisual Narratives on Civilizations and Cultures. Representations and interpretations of television news narratives’ [grant number CSO2011-23786]

Vox populi?: Trump’s Twitter page as public forum

This article investigates Twitter replies to tweets concerning the Russia Investigation, published by the United States President, Donald J. Trump. Using a qualitative content analysis, we examine a sample of 200 tweet replies within the timeframe of the first 16 months of Trump’s presidency to explore the arguments made in favor or not in favor of Trump in the comment replies. The results show more anti-Trump than pro-Trump rhetoric in the Twitter replies; the ratio of comments displaying support for Trump or his innocence does not even reach 10%. This study concludes that Trump’s tweets do not inform his Twitter audience’s opinion on this matter, and that Trump’s repetition of catchphrases on the Russia Investigation did not have a measurable impact on his Twitter audience’s responses

New approaches to communication teaching in the Spanish university: analysis of competencies associated with the field of Global Communication Studies

Introducción. El concepto de Estudios de Comunicación Global, o Global Communication Studies (GCS), está en vías de definición, sobre todo a la hora de constituirlos como una nueva área de educación formal reglada por el sistema universitario. Al abarcar todo un rango de cuestiones de la Comunicación con demasiada amplitud se hace necesario delimitar su alcance para diferenciarlos de los estudios de periodismo, relaciones públicas, publicidad y comunicación audiovisual, haciendo especial énfasis en las competencias de aprendizaje. Metodología. Se realiza un encuesta a 266 participantes: profesionales, docentes y estudiantes del área de la Comunicación, en la cual se les pide valorar el grado de importancia otorgado a 62 competencias mediante una escala Likert de 5 puntos. Resultados y discusión. Los resultados de la encuesta apuntan a una formulación de los GCS menos vinculados con los aspectos técnicos del sector de la comunicación, pero más fuertemente vinculados con los aspectos políticos y sociológicos de la comunicación. Se observa también una tendencia generalizada que apunta a la valoración positiva del aprendizaje autónomo.Introduction. The definition of the concept of Global Communication Studies (GCS) is still evolving, especially when it comes to their establishment as a new formal area of education regulated by the university system. As GCS cover a very wide range of communication-related issues, it is necessary to demarcate their scope to differentiate them from studies of journalism, public relations, advertising and audiovisual communication, and to place special emphasis on learning competencies. Methods. A survey was applied to a sample of 266 communication professionals, teachers and students to assess, through a 5-point Likert scale, the degree of importance given to 62 competencies associated with the exercise of their professional activities. Results and discussion. The survey results point to a formulation of GCS that is less associated with the technical aspects of the communication sector, and more strongly linked to the political and sociological aspects of communication. There is also a generalised trend towards the positive assessment of autonomous learning.Este artículo es producto del proyecto de innovación docente titulado "Evaluación y reestructuración de los estudios de comunicación de la UPF” (2014EMQ2 007), financiado por la Agencia de Gestión de Ayudas Universitarias y de Investigación (AGAUR - Generalitat de Catalunya) dentro de la convocatoria de Proyectos académicos estratégicos de mejora de la calidad, la eficiencia y la internacionalización (EMQEI)

When the "other" runs in front of the bull: a membership categorization analysis of a television news story

This article analyzes a television news story using a particular example. In line with the research tradition of the ethnomethodological approach of membership categorization analysis, our main analytical concerns are (1) to understand the logic of practical reasoning and intelligibility involved in the production of the news story; (2) to examine how this intelligibility is generated and what resources – such as commonsense knowledge of the social structures – are used to make the news story communicable; and (3) to explore how specific forms of categorization employed in the news story are used to induce certain readings or to promote certain worldviews. The news story analyzed describes the progressive increase of foreign participants at the San Fermín running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. It also highlights the still minority participation by women at this massive event. The results of the analysis show that both ‘foreigners’ and ‘women’ are presented as being in the wrong place. Through association with their typical predicates, both ‘foreigners’ and ‘women’ are construed in the news story as the ‘other’. A final reflection is made on the concept of identity, which is understood as a situated accomplishment.This work was supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación) for the research project ‘Analysis of Audiovisual Narratives on Civilizations and Cultures. Representations and interpretations of television news narratives’ [grant number CSO2011-23786]

New approaches to communication teaching in the Spanish university: analysis of competencies associated with the field of Global Communication Studies

Introducción. El concepto de Estudios de Comunicación Global, o Global Communication Studies (GCS), está en vías de definición, sobre todo a la hora de constituirlos como una nueva área de educación formal reglada por el sistema universitario. Al abarcar todo un rango de cuestiones de la Comunicación con demasiada amplitud se hace necesario delimitar su alcance para diferenciarlos de los estudios de periodismo, relaciones públicas, publicidad y comunicación audiovisual, haciendo especial énfasis en las competencias de aprendizaje. Metodología. Se realiza un encuesta a 266 participantes: profesionales, docentes y estudiantes del área de la Comunicación, en la cual se les pide valorar el grado de importancia otorgado a 62 competencias mediante una escala Likert de 5 puntos. Resultados y discusión. Los resultados de la encuesta apuntan a una formulación de los GCS menos vinculados con los aspectos técnicos del sector de la comunicación, pero más fuertemente vinculados con los aspectos políticos y sociológicos de la comunicación. Se observa también una tendencia generalizada que apunta a la valoración positiva del aprendizaje autónomo.Introduction. The definition of the concept of Global Communication Studies (GCS) is still evolving, especially when it comes to their establishment as a new formal area of education regulated by the university system. As GCS cover a very wide range of communication-related issues, it is necessary to demarcate their scope to differentiate them from studies of journalism, public relations, advertising and audiovisual communication, and to place special emphasis on learning competencies. Methods. A survey was applied to a sample of 266 communication professionals, teachers and students to assess, through a 5-point Likert scale, the degree of importance given to 62 competencies associated with the exercise of their professional activities. Results and discussion. The survey results point to a formulation of GCS that is less associated with the technical aspects of the communication sector, and more strongly linked to the political and sociological aspects of communication. There is also a generalised trend towards the positive assessment of autonomous learning.Este artículo es producto del proyecto de innovación docente titulado "Evaluación y reestructuración de los estudios de comunicación de la UPF” (2014EMQ2 007), financiado por la Agencia de Gestión de Ayudas Universitarias y de Investigación (AGAUR - Generalitat de Catalunya) dentro de la convocatoria de Proyectos académicos estratégicos de mejora de la calidad, la eficiencia y la internacionalización (EMQEI)

The Facebook groups and pages of Malagasy migrants in France: hubs of peer-to-peer and spontaneous solidarity

How do social platforms such as Facebook help migrant communities cope with the adversities faced during the migration journey? This is the question that drove this study, which explores the on- and offline experiences of Malagasy migrants in France during their migration journeys. We use complementary mixed methods, including an online survey (2021, n = 340) and participant observation of in-group and public interactions on 28 Facebook groups and pages of this community. We found that peer-to-peer solidarity as a collective response to the adversities faced during migration is present and very active within the Malagasy community in France. The exchanges among the members of this community concerning matters such as administrative issues and the transport of parcels between France and Madagascar are intense and continuous. Beyond this, solidarity chains are temporarily activated in response to specific needs, and particularly in collectively challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Our research also found that in their groups and pages, the Malagasy in France engage less frequently in other vital issues, such as finding work

Everyday practices in dealing with cross-border crime: some insights from conversation analysis

By approaching border security as a form of social interaction, the aim of this research is to provide a more thorough consideration of the how in the everyday communicative practices of police officers and civilians who participate in crime control at borders. Employing a corpus of 272 videos of police checks carried out by the Spanish Guardia Civil at La Jonquera–Le Perthus (the Spain–France border area), conversation analysis (CA) is introduced and applied as a novel perspective in the field of border security studies. From this approach, this article scrutinizes how meaningful actions emerge, and their relevance to the development of the encounter. The analysis highlights how certain actions can be consequential for police checks, such as initiating and modifying turns in conversation to overcome problematic situations that arise, for example, from the (non) ownership of the stopped vehicle, or the (lack of) reason for stopping it, which interfere with the police agenda in the management of border security (i.e., the resolution of suspicion). Consequently, this article sheds light on the role of CA in promoting analyses of micro-level border practices, allowing for the detailed examination of how border encounters are locally managed

Online weak ties, a sign of a diaspora in-the-making? The case of the Malagasy abroad

Internet 2.0 fosters the emergence, connection and association of a geographically dispersed community such as Malagasy migrants. This exploratory study analyses Malagasy online practices as a means to understanding the social dynamics and community-building in their host countries. The method employed relies on a parallel analysis of 121 websites and 82 Facebook public pages and groups created and/or managed by Malagasy migrants. The websites are classified according to the category of their activity and the networks they form, based on method used in the e-Diasporas Atlas project (Diminescu, 2012). Findings reveal that Malagasy overseas have the same geographical distribution both online and offline, but Facebook pages and groups are present in more countries than the websites what suggests a potential inverse correlation between belonging to a larger community and the need to be connected online. The network analysis of the websites uncovers that the Malagasy migrants’ websites maintain a very weak connection among them and are split into several satellite networks around an interconnected group of political blogs. We conclude this significant weak connection among the MGWEB as a sign of a diaspora in-the making.Internet 2.0 podstiče nastajanje, povezivanje i udruživanje geografski rasutih zajednica poput madagarskarskih migranata. U ovoj eksplorativnoj studiji se kroz analizu onlajn praksi Madagaskaraca objašnjava društvena dinamika i građenje zajednice u okviru njihovih zemalja domaćina. Metodologija rada se oslanja na paralelnu analizu 121 veb stranice i 82 javne Fejsbuk stranice i grupa kreiranih i/ili administriranih od strane madagaskarskih migranata. Na temelju pristupa korišćenog u projektu e-Diasporas Atlas (Diminescu, 2012) veb stranice su klasifikovane u kategorije prema aktivnostima i mrežama koje formiraju. Rezultati su pokazali da Madagaskarci koji žive u inostranstvu imaju istu geografsku distribuciju onlajn i oflajn, s tim da su Fejsbuk stranice i grupe prisutnije u više zemalja u odnosu na veb stranice što ukazuje na potencijalnu negativnu korelaciju između pripadnosti većoj zajednici i potrebe za onlajn povezanošću. Mrežna analiza veb sajtova je pokazala da madagaskarski migranti putem svojih veb sajtova održavaju veoma slabe veze kao i da su raspodeljeni u nekoliko satelitskih mreža okupljenih oko međusobno povezane grupe političkih blogova. Zaključak naše studije je da je ustanovljena povezanost putem slabih veza među MGWEB znak dijaspore u nastajanju